Azir: The Emperor of the Rift
As of patch 5.3, two champions that are frequently banned in Summoner’s Rift are Azir and Rek’sai. However, a high ban rate in solo q doesn’t always mean a strong performance in competitive play. Take Akali for example, a champion that is popular in solo q but fails to make an impact in professional matches. In contrast, Azir’s popularity in solo q does translate into competitive play due to his amplified strengths. On the other hand, Rek’sai’s effectiveness in competitive play has diminished after patch 5.2.
Incredible Laning Phase
Azir has one of the strongest laning phases in the game, especially once he reaches a few levels. His soldiers allow him to safely farm from a distance, and controlling them effectively creates zones where enemies face substantial harassment if they step into them. His long range and shifting sands ability make him difficult to gank, providing extra safety. Azir’s utility and high damage scaling make him a valuable asset in competitive play.
Utility
Azir is a mage with high damage and utility. His skills revolve around the sand soldiers at the core of his kit. His shifting sands and emperor’s divide abilities offer obvious utility, but it’s the soldiers themselves in combination with conquering sands that truly make Azir shine. The soldiers provide zones of control, forcing enemies to take significant damage or maneuver around their auto attack range. Conquering sands allows Azir to reposition these zones quickly and deal additional damage. Moreover, Azir’s soldiers grant him the ability to clear wards and never have to facecheck a bush. This utility is invaluable to teams, as it allows them to clear wards from a safe distance.
Conclusion
Azir translates extremely well from solo q to competitive play due to his dominant laning phase and utility. He provides solid damage, peel, and zone control for his team, making him desirable as a mid champion. Additionally, his passive ability allows him to defend a lane from a distance, stalling the enemy team’s advances. Azir’s versatility makes him a valuable asset in setting up objectives and winning teamfights.
Rek’ Sai: The Solo Q Terror
Rek’sai cannot be ignored when it comes to utility, as her burrow and tunnel abilities grant her exceptional mobility. With her ultimate ability, she can teleport to any tunnel on the map, allowing for quick counterganking and high map pressure. Additionally, her passive ability while burrowed enables her to spot movement from a significant distance without the need for ward coverage. This makes Rek’sai a valuable asset in spotting potential flanks and counterganks.
+Damage
Rek’Sai has been considered a strong champion in solo q due to her damage output with a specific build path. The popularized build includes Stalkers with a warrior enchantment, followed by Triforce and tank items. This build provides significant damage while making her difficult to kill. The damage spike from acquiring Triforce is maintained throughout the game and even scales into the late game, making Rek’sai a threat that opponents must address.
=OP?
Rek’sai’s utility and damage make her a formidable solo q pick. Her ability to efficiently farm the jungle while also ganking effectively due to her tunnels and health regeneration sets her up for success. In solo q, this translates to more ganks and greater chances of success, leading to a snowball effect. However, the competitive scene is different. Coordinated teams punish Rek’sai players who build Triforce and delay their tankiness. Thus, Rek’sai’s damage output is significantly lower, making her less threatening than champions with innate damage like Lee Sin or Jarvan IV. Furthermore, the messier nature of solo q games with more kills and extreme gold leads allows Rek’sai to reach her power spikes faster. In competitive play, Rek’sai is likely to be seen as a niche counter against invisible champions or as a solid pick when stronger junglers are unavailable.
Conclusion
While Rek’sai is a strong pick in solo q, she doesn’t perform as well in competitive play. Her reliance on a specific build path that competitive players cannot afford, along with her reduced base damages, hinders her performance compared to other junglers. Although she still possesses high global pressure, mobility, and reliable crowd control, Rek’sai is mostly seen as a niche pick or a counter to specific champions in the professional scene.
Azir, Rek’sai, competitive play, solo q, utility, damage, laning phase, zones of control, invisible champions, junglers